Sights, sounds of Arctic Circle brought to Korean Art Fair

This year’s Korean International Art Fair at Coex saw a one of a kind artistic partnership between Ireland and South Korea promoted by the Irish Embassy.

Sound and video recordings produced by artists Han Sung-pil of South Korea and Karen Power of Ireland, who participated in a unique artist residency last year in the Arctic Circle, make art fair goers feel as though they are being followed as they move about the gallery hall, enveloping them in the sights and sounds of ice.

The “Beyond Reality” exhibit at the fair’s multimedia Art Flash section ― an interactive media feature especially curated as a “mega-exhibition” and targeting for general audiences ― was the culmination of their work composed of video and sound recordings made during their time in the Arctic. 

Power’s inspiration behind the piece was her desire “to record ice.” She traces that impetus to 2010 when she was a musical composer in residence in Banff, Canada. Power said she was mesmerized by “the sound of ice,” according to an embassy press statement.

“So much of what I’ve become interested in, as an artist, has to do with environments and the way we respond to them. I hope this exhibition can give audiences a sense of some of the extraordinary auditory and visuals I have experienced in the Arctic,” she said.

Through the use of sound and imagery recorded in the Arctic, Power and Han convey the icy region’s turbulent past, as well as its uncertain future.

The audio and video effect is to displace space itself, and effectively transporting visitors to the “top of the world.” The pictures and sounds that resulted from their collaboration give the impression of movement and interaction with the audience as they walk around the room. The international exhibition ends today (Monday).

(ephilip2014@heraldcorp.com)